THE PENNSYLVANIA MAY|JUN20 GAZETTE Grappling With Inequality Penn’s Response to COVID-19 A Walker Around the City DP Major Eric Jacobs EE’80 Graduates At this time of crisis and uncertainty, we are one in spirit. Penn Quakers all over the world— united by our shared pride and love of Penn and now—more than ever—by everyday acts of heroism and hope. We are grateful and inspired by the countless offers of support and notes of encouragement from near and far. Thank you. PHOTO CREDIT: UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS THE PENNSYLVANIA Features GAZETTE MAY|JUN20 Inequality Economics The Edge Tax the rich! And the poor. Walking the perimeter 28 But not the way we do it now, 36 of Philadelphia. nor necessarily for the usual By JJ Tiziou reasons. As an economist pushing his field to grapple with inequality, Wharton’s Paper Man Benjamin Lockwood may change the Eric Jacobs EE’80 has been at the way you think about the government’s 44 Daily Pennsylvanian since articles broadest power. were written on typewriters and By Trey Popp layout was done by (actual) cutting and pasting. The newspaper’s longtime general manager is also a shared connection among every DP alum of the last 40 years. But this summer, he plans to leave the only job he’s ever had. By Molly Petrilla Dotdash Rising After putting the familiar 50 but failing website About.com out of its misery, Dotdash CEO Neil Vogel W’92 has managed to craft a thriving group of websites from the company’s wreckage. By Alyson Krueger COVER Illustration by Chris Gash Vol.118, No.5 ©2020 The Pennsylvania Gazette Published by Benjamin Franklin from 1729 to 1748. THEPENNGAZETTE.COM More Sports More Arts & Culture More Letters Latest News THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE Departments VOL. 118, NO. 5 ––––––––––– EDITOR John Prendergast C’80 3 From the Editor | Something to read at home. SENIOR EDITOR Trey Popp ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave Zeitlin C’03 4 From College Hall | A battle to serve a common good. ASSISTANT EDITOR Nicole Perry 6 Letters | Moving story, more climate clashes. ART DIRECTOR Catherine Gontarek PUBLISHER F. Hoopes Wampler GrEd’13 215-898-7811 [email protected] Views ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR Linda Caiazzo 215-898-6811 [email protected] 10 Alumni Voices | “Anything was possible, because no one knew.” ––––––––––– EDITORIAL OFFICES 12 Elsewhere | Looking back to where it all began. The Pennsylvania Gazette 14 Expert Opinion | In praise of letting go, moving on. 3910 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-3111 PHONE 215-898-5555 FAX 215-573-4812 Gazetteer EMAIL [email protected] WEB thepenngazette.com 17 Coronavirus Response | Campus closure, remote working and learning. ––––––––––– 19 Curriculum | All-star Wharton online course focuses on pandemic ramifications. ALUMNI RELATIONS 215-898-7811 20 Kislak Symposium | Honoring a book collector’s “obsession.” EMAIL [email protected] 21 Leadership | Emory’s Erika H. James named Wharton School dean. WEB www.alumni.upenn.edu ––––––––––– 22 Intellectual Autobiography | Renée Fox on her past—and the present. UNIVERSITY SWITCHBOARD 23 Education Costs | 2020-21 tuition and fees, financial aid announced. 215-898-5000 ––––––––––– 24 Sports | AJ Brodeur sets new scoring record for men’s basketball. NATIONAL ADVERTISING 25 By the Numbers IVY LEAGUE MAGAZINE NETWORK Heather Wedlake EMAIL [email protected] 26 Sports | Spring-sport athletes grapple with seasons cut short. PHONE 617-319-0995 WEB www.ivymags.com Arts CHANGE OF ADDRESS? Go to QuakerNet, Penn’s Online Community at myquakernet.com to access and update 55 Calendar your own information. Or contact Alumni Records, University of Pennsylvania, Suite 300, 2929 Walnut 56 Screens | “Pro-social” media maker Paul Falzone Gr’08. Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5099; [email protected]. upenn.edu; Phone: 215-898-8136; Fax: 215-573-5118. 58 Architecture | K—A. Eugene Kohn Ar’53 GAr’57—tells KPF’s story. THE PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE (ISSN 1520-4650) is published 60 Visual Arts | Exhibition of activist posters presented by Common Press. bimonthly in September, November, January, March, May, and July by Penn Alumni, E. Craig Sweeten Alumni 61 Bibliography | Kathy Peiss on WWII’s librarian-spies. Information Hunters. House, 3533 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6226. Periodicals postage paid at Philadelphia, PA, and addi- 62 Briefly Noted tional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Pennsylvania Gazette, Alumni Records, Suite 300, 2929 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-5099. PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE COMMITTEE: David S. Graff C'79 Alumni WG'84 (Chair); Miriam Arond C’77; Jean Chatzky C’86; The Way Back about Dr. Alan Filreis, Faculty; Eliot J. Kaplan C'78; Randall 63 Gavin O’Connor C’86’s new film isn’t sports. Lane C’90; Michael R. Levy W'68; James L. Miller W’97; Sameer Mithal WG’95; Steven L. Roth W'66; Robert E. 65 Sally Elk GFA’84 GFA’85 wants Eastern State to go beyond “Terror.” Shepard C'83 G'83; Joel Siegel C’79; Ann Reese CW’74, 67 Riaz Patel C’95 has an EPIC plan to bridge social divides. President, Penn Alumni. 69 Events The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff from diverse back- 69 Notes grounds. The University of Pennsylvania does not discrimi- nate on the basis of race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, 78 Obituaries color, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, or status as a Vietnam Era Veteran or disabled veteran. Printed by The Lane Press, Burlington, Vermont 88 Old Penn | Earth Day, 1970. FROM THE EDITOR sive upheavals that have On the morning of threatened it over his tenure. September 11, 2001, I was Among the most signifi cant researching old issues of the Distance Gazette of those challenges has been magazine for the ’s the growth of the internet. In upcoming centennial in 2002 “Dotdash Rising” Alyson when the news came. I re- Learning Krueger C’07 profi les Neil Vo- member writing about how gel W’92, who has been work- my wife and I took our daugh- ing in digital media since the ter, released early from day- state the obvious, this and “the annual federal bud- 1990s. Most recently, as the care, to the playground, and has been an unusual get defi cit also just crossed CEO of Dotdash, Vogel has suc- the recurring dread that an To issue of the Gazette to the $1 trillion mark.” But the ceeded in resuscitating the fa- attack would happen again, put together. issues raised in the story, miliar but faded website About. suddenly, out of the blue sky. It’s early April as I write this. which focuses on the work of com—its constituent parts, at The current crisis is diff er- We were about halfway into Benjamin Lockwood, an as- least—thereby managing one ent of course—a combination our editorial cycle when the sistant professor of business of the few second acts in this of terrifyingly rapid change University announced the deci- economics and public policy notably unforgiving industry. and agonizing slow motion sion to have all but essential at the Wharton School, may as we watch the case count employees work remotely; sent be more relevant than ever as Most of the and death toll rise and wait the vast majority of students society wrestles with issues to learn whether the mea- home from campus and shift- around taxation and wealth content in sures put in place will suc- ed classes online for the re- inequality going forward. these pages ceed in “fl attening the curve.” mainder of the semester; and To my shame, I wasn’t part (As a historical side note, I cancelled spring events, in- of the Daily Pennsylvanian was conceived only recall fi nding one article cluding Alumni Weekend and during my student days, but that mentioned the 1918 infl u- Commencement. I’m familiar with—not to say before the novel enza pandemic in our archi- We have a story in “Gazet- envious of—the devotion and coronavirus val searches, a relatively brief teer” by associate editor Dave sense of camaraderie former item about medical students Zeitlin C’03 detailing that se- staff ers feel for the institu- reshaped our and others helping care for quence of events, and Presi- tion. In “Paper Man,” Molly the sick and keep hospital dent Gutmann also off ers a Petrilla C’06—a proud former daily lives. rooms clean.) message to the alumni com- editor of the Summer Penn- We should all know more munity in “From College Hall.” sylvanian—profi les perhaps As we take our daily exer- by the time this Gazette But most of the other content the one constant (aside from cise warily on the lookout for reaches you. In that fi rst is- in these pages was conceived lack of sleep) in the DP expe- heedless joggers and others sue after 9/11, we published a and largely executed in the rience: general manager Eric careless about social distanc- special section of the maga- days before the novel corona- Jacobs EE’80, who is retiring ing guidelines, photographer zine compiling campus reac- virus reshaped our daily after 40 years on the job. and community organizer JJ tions to the attack, specula- lives—which may make it Building on a temporary Tiziou C’02 reminds us of the tions about the future, and seem woefully beside the point gig to introduce computers loose, relaxed joy of going for related experiences of alum- or a welcome relief (or both). into the newsroom, Jacobs a long walk with friends— ni. We’ll hope to bring you Our cover story, “Inequality has spent his career helping though his excursion is more something along those lines Economics,” by senior editor generations of students get quirky and adventurous than in Jul|Aug.